Goodnight letter: F-35s

The media distracts us with trivial issues: historic horse racing, weed-smoking air controllers and unplowed streets, while the biggest issue is constantly humming in the background.

That hum is from the boomers in City Hall, the Statehouse, IACI, the Statesman, Chamber of Commerce and the Arid Club chanting the mantra of growth. The sugarplums dancing in their heads are urban renewal districts, tax credits and exemptions to encourage and reward development. Most recently and prominently on their wish list are F35s in our city.

While Tim Woodward waxes nostalgic about what we used to have, we are rapidly losing what we still have. Whether motivated out of a distorted sense of civic pride, personal or organizational self-enrichment, the boomers are accelerating Boise toward their image of a livable city: Los Angeles.

This story was originally published April 14, 2017 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Goodnight letter: F-35s."